Professional Websites

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Voice Of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

  • VOYA is a literary journal devoted to materials for youth and features archives of the journal on the site. The journal also targets YA collection enhancement, the move to get youth involved in libraries, and intellectual freedom. Other features on the site include booklists, author interviews, and a plethora of book reviews. A great site for journals. For more journal sites, please check my Professional Journals page. Subscriptions range from $46 to $75, depending on whether the institution is located in Canada or the U.S. and whether it is a personal or company subscription.
  • I really enjoy the author interviews and hope to be able to continue a subscription to VOYA in the future.
  • I first encountered this site through an author interview a while ago. Subsequently, this journal comes up in classroom and professional discussion from time to time.

1. "VOYA." 2012. TheYGSgroup. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.voya.com/.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)

  • IFLA is the main body devoted to libraries and library studies at the international level. For institutions looking at libraries at the U.S. level, please check out my National Organizations page. Costs to IFLA are considered in euros, but student rates are still fairly reasonable. The larger the institution, the more the price. Freely available on the site is the latest news and a calendar of events, there are also links out to other IFLA-based sites, including IFLA World Report and Building Strong Library Organizations (BSLA).
  • I have read several IFLA World Reports for classes and various surveys and papers I have written. Usually the information in the reports is extensive and I could certainly see myself keeping up with the site and its parent institution in the future. It is hard to not think of libraries as simply within the realm of the U.S. and IFLA helps to spread new ideas at the international level.
  • I first encountered this site after happening on the IFLA World Report from 2010.

2. "IFLA." 2009. IFLA.org. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.ifla.org/.

The IPL2

  • The IPL2 is a nonprofit consortium that focuses on answering reference questions for any members of the population who so seek. A lot of the information on the site acts as a database that can be accessed through a search query or by browsing one of five sections. Additionally, there is a "spotlight" and "featured" scrollbar highlighting particular articles on the front page. Finally, if a person has a question, he or she can contact an IPL2 librarian by filling out a short form.
  • While I have not personally used this site for my own research. I have found it to be a good supplementary for kids doing certain reports and needing a service like Indiana Inspire.
  • I actually encountered the IPL2 on the Internet one day when I was looking for services similar to Indiana Inspire.

3. "The IPL2." 2008-2012. University of Michigan & Drexel University. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.ipl.org/.

The Media Education Lab

  • The University of Rhode Island's Media Education Lab is the parent site for Renee Hobbs' Media Education Lab, which is mentioned on my Nationally Known Professionals page. Besides all of the links to Hobb's section of the site, U. of R.I. also links out to other education professional sites, including Youth Media Reporter, The Media Spot, Media Literacy Clearinghouse. Basically, this site acts as a great hub to other media literacy topics. Another feature is teaching resources that do not link out. News and events are also mentioned.
  • I have used Hobb's site many times in my professional development, but in the future I would like to work my way through some of the other hubs because I feel there is a lot more about digital and media literacy I have left to earn.
  • I first encountered The Media Education Lab at U. of R.I. after looking into Hobb's section of the site.

4. "The Media Education Lab-Hub." 2012. University of Rhode Island. 24 Apr. 2012. http://mediaeducationlab.com/.

The Media Awareness Network

  • The Media Awareness Network promotes awareness of opportunities online, technology training, and responsible use of the Internet and various media. Key components include a look at the issues for educators and parents, a blog and news section, games for kids to learn about technology issues, and Canadian reports. As a network, the Media Awareness Network pushes for support from a wide variety of sources, which is how the source keeps running. For other technology information in the form of help sites please see my Technology Help Sites page.
  • I can foresee using the educational games as something for parents to help kids understand issues like copyright. This is also
  • I encountered this site during Kym Kramer's SLIS 671 class when doing research on Renee Hobbs.

5. "Media Awareness Network." 2010. MNet. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm.

Library Technology Guides

  • Library Technology Guides, despite its name, is not a basic technology tutorial source. Instead, LTG looks at technology being used or at the cutting edge of library systems. Automation is at the forefront of this. The site offers tech reports, bibliographic guides, a news section, and other library technology-based information. The information on the site is freely available, but joining and becoming a member will keep users updated on news via e-mail.
  • I am not at the forefront of where library technology and automation is at. This site could go a long way to keep me updated in the future.
  • I first encountered this site when I was looking for technology help sites. While this is a help site of sorts, it has a very different user population.

6. "Library Technology Guides." 2011. Marshall Breeding. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.librarytechnology.org/.

Literacy Center Education Network

  • The Literacy Center Education Network provides free materials for preschool educators and others dealing with Pre-K children in a learning environment. English, French, German, and Spanish are incorporated on the site, as is information for parents and teachers, and a mission and vision statement. The lessons focus on skills like colors, upper and lowercase letters, words, shapes, numbers, and the keyboard. Languages are highly valued on the site.
  • This is a good resource to give young kids who are struggling with new lessons or parents who wish to incorporate multiple languages into their preschool-aged child/children's curriculum.
  • I first encountered this resource when doing research on Learn and Play Spaces as a volunteer at MCPL.

7. "Literacy Center Education Network." 2012. Literacy Center Education Network. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.literacycenter.net/.

Children's Literature Network

  • The Children's Literature Network is an ALA Best Website that has a magazine, has published books, puts on events, and keeps an author database, complete with birth dates, bios, works, and links out to author contact information and websites. A pronunciation guide for author names is also often included. Articles in the online magazine feature interviews, news, book reviews, and a couple of personal blogs.
  • I have used this author resource before and expect to use it in the future. Knowing author pronunciations is a great help.
  • I first encountered this site while browsing the ALA list of Best Websites and was charmed by the layout and then the information on the site.

8. "Children's Literature Network." 2012. Children's Literature Network. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/events/ev_mida.php.

Guys Read

  • Guys Read is actually not a library site. However, there is no site devoted to the topic of getting young men into reading that is nearly as comprehensive and innovative as Jon Sciezka's Guys Read site. The site offers news, recommendations, opportunities to get guys into reading, a mission and vision statement for the site and a link to the site's Twitter presence. The site is really good at integrating, stuff to download, maps, links to some relevant authors, and other activities dudes can do on the Internet. Guys read also does research and offers and annual report, as well as some professional development opportunities for educators.
  • This site is bookmarked on my computer as a site I should look into every now and again to keep up with book recommendations for young men.
  • I first encountered this site through Angie Hircock's "Books for Boys" presentation during one of my SLIS courses.

9. "Guys Read." 2007. Jon Sciezka. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.jsworldwide.com/.

RIF (Reading is Fundamental)

  • Reading is Fundamental is a large nonprofit devoted to children's literacy. RIF has created many literacy initiatives including "Books for Ownership." The site also focuses on promoting access to books, reading during the summer, reading readiness, and promoting multicultural literacy. Some book lists, research reports, and links to Common Core resources are also available on the site.
  • This is the largest nonprofit literacy resource, so I feel it is good resource for a librarian or educator to keep in his or her back pocket.
  • I first encountered this site when looking into literacy resources for an undergraduate project.

10. "Reading is Fundamental." 2012. RIF. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.rif.org/.

Open Culture

  • Open Culture offers a multitude of free educational podcasts from many different fields including biology, economics, history, literature, math, and many more. Entire courses or single lessons are available online. Free movies, eBooks, language lessons, and audio books are also available on the site. The site is highly browseable and a viewer can search by topic like "courses" or "textbooks," or by category, like language.
  • I have listened to several online and course podcasts and lectures and would absolutely return to this resource if I get some time.
  • I first encountered this site while browsing Harvard professors a couple of years ago.

11. "Open Culture." 2012. Open Culture, LLC. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/.

Khan Academy

  • Khan academy provides math and science and other classroom lessons. Videos are the main component on the site.
  • I have browsed through this site before and could potentially see using it in the future.
  • This was a site I became aware of via the departmental listserv when I worked at Monroe County Public Library

12. "Khan Academy." 2012. Khan Academy. 18 May. 2012. http://www.khanacademy.org/.